great fire of 1867, was, with town council's approval, torn down. Amalgamations 1935: Jugel and Wittigsthal 1952: Steinbach Population development Development of population figures (from 1955 31 December): Source from 1946 to 1976 (except 1953): Statistische Jahrbücher der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik Source from 1998: Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen 1 29 October 2 31 August Of the 5,748 inhabitants on 31 December 2003, 2,751 were male and 2,997 female. Politics Coat of arms The town's arms have their roots in the time when the town was founded. Johanngeorgenstadt's coat of arms might heraldically be described thus: Party per fess, above argent three buildings gules with towers, below gules an inescutcheon argent, therein a sledgehammer and a cross-peen hammer sable per saltire. The official German blazon, however (“Geteilt von Silber über Rot; oben drei rote Gebäude mit Türmen, unten ein kleiner Silberschild, darin schwarze Schlägel und Eisen”), does not mention the black roofs seen in the sample coat of arms in this article, nor does it say exactly how the charges are to be configured. It does not say, for instance, that the tools in the inescutcheon should be crossed (note, however, that this is implied if they are described as “hammer and pick”, the historical symbol of mining). Town partnerships Burglengenfeld in Bavaria, Germany Nejdek in the Czech Republic Culture and sightseeing Museums Not far from Schwefelwerkstraße lies the recreation, dedicated on 30 October 1993, of a horse gin and a hat house that may be visited. Right near the horse gin is a lapidarium featuring historic border stones and other boundary-marking stones. Likewise on Schwefelwerkstraße in the middle of town is a Heimat-Stube, a museum of local lore. In the Bahnhofsgebäude (railway station building), built in 1898 and 1899 and remodelled after a fire in 1993, various exhibitions take place. There is also an “educational and entertaining” visitor mine in Wittigsthal called “Frisch Glück” Music Johanngeorgenstadt is where the Ore Mountain folk group De Randfichten comes from, although only one of the three musicians, Michael Rostig, actually still lives in town. Within the Erzgebirgszweigverein, a singing group led by retired teacher Eberhard Müller is active. Buildings The Evangelical Lutheran Stadtkirche (“Town Church”) was built in neo-Gothic style using the old tower stonework after the town fire destroyed the Exulantenkirche from the 17th century, and it was consecrated on 27 August 1872. Inside are found, among other things, the monumental